Escherichia coli 4.5S RNA gene function can be complemented by heterologous bacterial RNA genes.

The essential 4.5S RNA gene of Escherichia coli can be complemented by 4.5S RNA-like genes from three other eubacteria, including both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. Two of the genes encode RNAs similar in size to the E. coli species; the third, from Bacillus subtilis, specifies an RNA more than twice as large. The heterologous genes are expressed efficiently in E. coli, and the product RNAs resemble those produced by cognate cells. We conclude that the heterologous RNAs can replace E. coli 4.5S RNA and that the essential function of 4.5S RNA is evolutionarily conserved. A consensus structure is presented for the functionally related 4.5S RNA homologs.